This Show is a Joke | The Listies

Images: Morgan Roberts

‘This Show Is A Joke!’- the title says it all.

What is a better way to spend a Sunday arvo than watching a variety comedy show by The Listies at the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent in Festival Village South Bank? If you have been to any comedy shows or any kids’ variety shows, ask yourself this: what is the best joke ever? No spoilers here, but they surely kept the audience engaged throughout the entire 60-minute performance.

The Listies is a classic comedy duo featuring ‘MR’- Matthew Kelly and Richard Higgins. They even wore matching tees with their initials, M and R, so you could easily tell who was who! One stepped into a silly, childlike role while the other played the rule follower. Their acts balanced each others’ dynamics well, paired with seamless comedic timing, storytelling, and hilarious, dramatic facial expressions.

My immediate impression when the Listies hit the stage was their sheer, unstoppable energy. The stage set up was wonderfully quirky, featuring a central giant mouth screen that framed the digital projections, flanked by crafty cardboard plants and a flip chart notepad with atmospheric smoke effects ready for some on-the-fly jokes.

Images: Morgan Roberts

The physical comedy was backed by an arsenal of clever, low-fi props- think briefcase, microphone, drum, bananas, and chairs, paired with a brilliant soundscape of toilet flushes, mosquito buzzes, and familiar nursery rhyme favourites like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Incy Wincy Spider with a funny twist. Layered with lighting, projector animations and a steady stream of age-appropriate humour, including classic poop jokes and intentionally misspelled words, it hit all the right notes.

The Listies were no strangers to audience participation, diving headfirst into the chaos and spilling out into the aisles rather than staying safely on stage. Parents and kids alike found themselves instantly roped into the action, from spontaneous musical moments to full-room physical comedy where the entire audience leaned and swayed along with the performers. At its peak, a simple projector screen transformed into a wildly unpredictable group journey, turning the crowd into active passengers and the whole room into a collective experience.

Judging by the audience’s reactions, The Listies proved without a doubt that they know how to elicit genuine laughs from both kids and ‘kidults’ through delightful scrapes and absolute silliness. ‘This Show Is A Joke!’ is a lighthearted, family-friendly production. If you’re looking for a good time, well, shall I say, go catch some LOLs.

This Show is a Joke! plays 20-26 September at the Magic Mirros Spiegeltent, South Bank, as part of the 2026 Brisbane Festival.

Images: Morgan Roberts